CAMP WILLIAMS — Mary Stewart woke up Saturday morning and saw nearly 9,000 strangers out her window.

The Hurricane Katrina survivor rushed outside her temporary home to find thousands of soldiers in uniform standing at attention. Yards away was a sea of American flags and smiling faces. In the distance were two military helicopters and a row of cannons.

That's when it dawned on her: The camp's resident bunkmates — the Utah National Guard — had dropped in.

"I'm living at a military base," she said, her astonishment at the hubbub outside giving way to the realization. "I'd never believe it in a million years."

An estimated 4,000 troops had come to the camp to be reviewed by their commander-in-chief, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a ceremony that included a military parade, the presentation of military honors to several local guardsmen and the Utah National Guard's 23rd Army Band.

Friends, families and local guardsmen packed the camp, the site of national attention the past week as a temporary staging area for hundreds of evacuees trying to figure out life after Hurricane Katrina.

Throughout the day's activities, Stewart quietly watched from just outside the base's community center, getting used to another change: rooming with the Utah National Guard.

The local guard has had to make several changes of its own to accommodate Camp Williams' remaining 300 guests from the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast area. Approximately 200 servicemen will arrive at Camp Williams today to attend classes on a variety of military topics.

Col. Scot Olson, the base's training site manager who essentially serves as the mayor of Camp Williams, said those soldiers must adapt to minor things like "classrooms they haven't used in a long time," or staying in barracks they are not accustomed to.

"It's a speed bump in our daily life, but easily overcome," he said. "We just slow down, adjust and cooperate. The situation is just completely different in how we do things."

Of the estimated 600 evacuees who initially came to Utah, half are still at Camp Williams, Olson said, adding that he has nothing but good things to say about the evacuees.

"They know they are guests here, and they are taking really good care of our facility," Olson said.

When asked how long he expects the evacuees to stay, Olson said the original plan was to house them for 120 days, but added, "We'll keep them however long it takes."

Stewart said she appreciates all that the local military has done for her: She has a warm bed to sleep in, her 12-year-old daughter, Melissa, is back in school, and she finally has a little peace of mind.

Still, Stewart longs for a place of her own. She has been busy searching for low-income housing and applying for a job that will utilize her skills as a certified nursing assistant.

"I didn't come to stay on a base," Stewart said. "I came to feel my way in. They have a lot to offer here. I'm just ready to settle in."

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com